How LAT “Apprentice” Certification Became One new Practitioner’s best preparation for earning MLT I

ICML recently introduced the industry’s first apprentice-level lubrication certification in response to feedback from our corporate customers and training partners. They have been witnessing a challenging workforce trend: experienced lubrication personnel continue retiring while many of their replacements are entering the profession with limited lubrication-specific experience.

Responding to such evolving workforce conditions is central to ICML’s mission. So, to help companies bring new practitioners up to speed more quickly and confidently, ICML developed the Lubrication Apprentice Technician (LAT) certification as an early entry point into the lubrication profession. Following the time-honored apprenticeship model, the LAT assesses foundational knowledge while helping newcomers build the confidence needed to work and learn alongside experienced colleagues before progressing to technician-level certifications such as MLT I and MLA I.

Ben Stalder‘s newcomer journey closely reflects this vision of natural progression. He works as a Product Development and Implementation Specialist at Growmark, an agricultural cooperative based in Illinois, USA. At his employer’s request, Ben first earned the LAT as part of his professional development before continuing on to the MLT I certification. We spoke with Ben about the experience and why he now considers the LAT to have been the best preparation for everything that followed.

Q: Ben, tell us a little about your background. How did you find your way into machinery lubrication?

Ben: I came to the world of machine lubrication in a roundabout way. I’ve worked in an oil blending facility for a bit over a year. Prior to that I worked in a lab testing and developing concrete construction chemicals. Before that I was a professional beer brewer.

So, while my experience with strictly oil-based lubricants is somewhat limited, I have experience with maintaining a wide range of equipment from forklifts to canning lines.

I now work for a lubricants blending facility in a capacity that involves product development, sales staff support, and implementation. And one of my professional development goals for this job was to get a certification or two from an independent institution so that the “powers that be” would know for themselves that I know what I’m talking about.

I decided upon the MLT I certification by ICML and set out a timeline to pursue it.

Q: Your original goal was the ICML MLT I certification. How did the LAT enter the picture?

Ben: A couple months prior to my intended MLT course, an employee in a leadership position within a related branch of the company suggested that I take a preparatory course for ICML’s newly established LAT certification to assess its value as a continuing education asset for our field service and sales staff.

The testing portion was not mandatory, but I figured if I’m going to follow the MLT I route afterwards, I might as well take the LAT test, too.

Q: For someone who has not previously sat for an ICML certification exam, what was the LAT experience like?

Ben: The LAT test was manageable, multiple choice, and it made sure that I knew what I should know in the world of entry-level machine lubrication. The knowledge base of this certification was foundational and broadly applicable.

Q: What did you gain from the LAT experience?

Ben: So, I passed the LAT test and I was soon delighted to learn how well I did. I got a few “good jobs” from my coworkers and felt good afterward.

The exam reinforced some previously assumed principles that I had gathered along my professional career, but more importantly it expanded on areas that I previously knew very little about.

I learned about machines that I’m fairly certain I will never have to service or even look at. But I have a good idea now of what they probably require for lubrication.

It even made me question some of the decisions I had made in my past, because the LAT exam itself provided a broader context for the theory and practical application of why I could have or should have done things better in the past.

Q: Did earning the LAT change how you had been planning to approach your MLT I preparation?

Ben: Yes, because ultimately the LAT exam’s reinforcement of some principles and expansion of others would prove quite useful in my preparation for the MLT I certification.

I found that the principles established for the LAT exam served as a springboard toward furthering my knowledge and preparedness for the MLT I exam.

Looking back, I prepared thoroughly for the MLT I exam, I ordered the study materials and did the readings and kept notes and what not. But the notes I kept from the LAT exam seemed to prove almost as useful as the notes I was taking during my MLT I prep.

The LAT exam prepared me substantially for a continued learning path and career development, so I would personally say that my preparation for the LAT was instrumental in a successful outcome with the MLT I exam. In fact, after having sat for both examinations, I felt that the best prep for the MLT I was the LAT exam itself—hands down, one of the best things I could have done to prepare me for the next level.

Q: Having transitioned from LAT to MLT I first-hand, what value do you think the LAT offers to others?

Ben: I can vouch only for myself, but I imagine that the wide array of professionals that I took the MLT I test with learned a lot from their test preparation, and the LAT can be a great part of that.

In addition, I can also see positive value for somebody early on in their career path who would benefit tremendously from either or both certifications.

On a side note, my personal sense of accomplishment in crushing these exams was immense. It made me feel like I deserved to pour myself a glass of an expensive brown liquid and take a load off for a moment of celebratory self-enjoyment.

Having these certifications looks great on anyone’s resumé or LinkedIn, and they can only serve to further a professional in their experience and knowledge base.  

More Information

Discover the practical background of LAT and its place within ICML’s certification portfolio on the “Apprentice” landing page.

 Organizations interested in hosting LAT group exam sessions may inquire at registrations@lubecouncil.org.